Chapter 457: Parting

"That's alright." Yun Yang said with a wan smile. "Don't worry, old one. In all honesty, my injuries are fine now and I have medicine with me. With my current state, I need at least half a month to arrive at the battlefield. This period of time will be sufficient for me to recuperate."

The old man sighed.

It was no mean feat to travel and recuperate at the same time.

If one were to rush during his journey, it would be difficult to avoid aggravating his injuries, but to recuperate while traveling? It was absurd and self-deceiving. Still, it looked like there was no other way about this.

Seeing that Yun Yang was insistent and there was no point in trying to stop him, the old physician said softly, "Perhaps you can choose to take a detour and go around the mountain from the back. You'll be able to see grasslands, and as long as you don't go too deep into the forest, you won't encounter any dangerous mystical beasts."

"I beg your pardon?" Yun Yang asked in bewilderment.

Why did the elder suddenly bring this up?

Time was already ticking away, but he was still being asked to take a detour? Even if it was less dangerous, it was still a ridiculous choice. Could there be some ulterior motive behind the seemingly innocent request?

"In the borderless grasslands roam hordes of wild horses..." The old man said, "At least a hundred thousand of them, maybe even more. Since you have remarkable a cultivation base, it shouldn't be too hard for you to capture a wild horse. With a horse as your transportation, I believe your traveling time will be greatly reduced."

"At the very least, it can save you energy to recuperate."

Realization struck Yun Yang the moment he heard the old man's explanation, and he recalled at once that almost every home had horses when he had first seen this small village and handsome ones at that. When the twelve teenagers had left, the warhorses they took with them were the of best stock as well. He understood now that this was probably the source of the magnificent creatures.

"I'll go have a look."

Yun Yang was deeply intrigued.

With how his leg being as injured as it was, it would be very efficient to have a great horse.

Late at night, Yun Yang left quietly; he did not inform anyone in the village except the old man who was sending him off. Unexpectedly, when the old man had sent Yun Yang out of the door, half the village had appeared.

They stood quietly in the nightfall, sending Yun Yang off with their gazes. A few elders moved forward shakily; behind them, a gaggle of women clustered together.

The old man received two parcels from the women's hands and said sincerely, "Warrior, your departure to the battlefield is to fight for our Yutang. Do be careful. Aged and weak as we are, we can no longer step foot into war... The women at home had made ten pairs of canvas shoes through the night, twenty catties of biscuits and a saddle... Please accept these insignificant gifts of ours to cheer you on your journey, great warrior."

Yun Yang looked around and could see a few women among the crowd who paid more attention to him; there were smaller packages in each of their hands. These women were the mothers of the twelve teenagers who had left earlier.

Yun Yang felt a warm feeling surge in his heart, a blanket of genuine comfort and envy wrapped around him.

What Yun Yang had yearned for the most in his life was the care of a family. It was unknown if destiny had played a trick on him; he had lost his parents since he was young while each family whom Yun Yang acknowledged had gone through a rough patch like the Nine Supremes, Yun Zuiyue, and Old Dugu who had passed on, as well as Ji Lingxi and Yue Rulan who had inexplicably attracted the attention of an almighty presence, Lei Dongtian, and could not recover their true faces for years. It just proved that whoever was close to Yun Yang was no exception to grief, desolation, bad luck, and death!

In spite of this, Yun Yang envied the people who had the care of their families even more and especially treasured the love that was being showered upon him.

"Thank you!"

Yun Yang accepted the packages graciously and carried them on his back. He bowed deeply, "Thank you! Take care, elders. If I survive this war, I will come back to all of you again."

"Warrior, you're no ordinary person. You'll surely be meritorious in this trip and be titled marquis or general in the future and your generations to come! God bless Yutang for such a warrior to fight in the war!" A few elders looked at him solemnly while they spoke with sincerity as if they were making a vow.

Then, the mothers of the teenagers stepped out in unison.

"Warrior, you were a teacher to our children. The children's mothers know that you're leaving and wanted to show their gratitude to you. However, you only have two hands and you carry injuries, unable to bring along too much. This old and useless one has made the decision for them to sew two pairs of canvas shoes each. Please accept them!"

Yun Yang swallowed, at a loss for words.

Twenty-four pairs of canvas crepe shoes were neatly placed in front of him.

Each pair was sewn with the most secure twine, complete with intricate stitches. The soles of the shoes were creped from homemade pulp while the upper layers were made from hard Wired Snake leather. The insides of the shoes were made of the most ordinary soft fabric but with a thin layer of cotton that was sewn within. They were not beautiful, but they were absolutely secure, comfortable and long-lasting.

This was the most practical and basically the best parting gift! It was also the most touching gift Yun Yang had ever received in his life. He felt especially beholden to these good-hearted people.

"Thank you!" Yun Yang bowed and said, "If I can meet the children on this trip, I will take care of them as best as I can, with hopes that all twelve of them will return!"

The twelve women returned the bow, gratitude brimming in their eyes. "Thank you for your care, teacher!"

They were confident as if the promise from this person that stood before them could guarantee the safety of their sons among the hundreds and thousands of men from the opposing army.

Yes, to them at least, they had no doubt about this assurance.

Truth be told, even if Yun Yang still had the powers of the Nine Supremes, he dared not guarantee the safety of someone on the battlefield! He could only say that he would do his best!

"Warrior, have a safe trip and succeed!" The young and old, women and children of the village bowed at the same time to show their intentions as they spoke resolutely.

"Defeat Dongxuan and fortify Yutang! Bless our people, guard our lives!"

Yun Yang bowed back as formally as he could with a huge pack on his back.

Then, he left with large steps, not turning back just like the twelve boys who had left. He knew that everyone was watching him. The more resolute he acted, the more confident he seemed. If he had turned back at this moment, it would only reflect his diffidence and make the villagers doubtful of their children's safety.

This was not what Yun Yang would like to have witnessed!

The sight of Yun Yang finally disappeared at the end of the road, just like the twelve youths whose day of return was unknown.

Until then, no one in the village moved. Only the sound of soft sighs could be heard from them.

"What a great young man..."

The old physician sighed but did not say anything further.

After some time, the crowd dissipated.

When they got home, each household could not help but gasp in surprise. On the table of each household lay two bullions of gold. Each bullion was ten catties in weight.

Two bullions of gold could afford these household carefree days for the next few years.

The crowd retreated out of their houses to ask around and found out that each house had been given the same amount of gold - nothing more, nothing less.

No one doubted the origin of these gold bullions as they all knew that they were left in secret by the warrior who had just left. Oddly enough, no one among them had noticed him doing so.

Other than two bullions of gold, there was also a letter on the old physician's table.

The rows of scribbles read, "As pearls and jade can never be as valuable as the heart, how can mere gold convey my gratitude? The young and fit have gone to serve the country but the everyday life of the women and children are to resume. It is a mere token of the heart, detest it not. I shall keep the village's children as safe as I can, please do not worry. Let us drink when we return, for to go home drunk will be the happiest thing in life!"

There was no signature, but the old physician knew who had written it. He was trembling, hot tears brimming in his eyes, and he went to show the letter to everyone in the village. The villagers shared the same fervent emotions even as they felt comforted by the thoughtfulness.

The warrior knew that the villagers' days without the young and fit would be difficult. With the gold bullions he had left, it would be enough to ensure that the entire village would live comfortably.

Even if the war went on for another three to five years, the gold would see them through it.

His arrangements were truly meticulous.

"This person is thoughtful and has a formidable cultivation base. His actions speak of an elite's grace... but none of us knows who he is... For our village to have known such a significant figure is truly a blessing from the heavens..."

The elderly sighed softly.

...

Yun Yang walked towards the east after leaving Huang Col Village and came to the mountain that was mentioned by the old physician. He, having recovered his full range of movements and a portion of his mystical cultivation method, hiked up easily. In just about an hour, he was already at the top of the mountain. The base of the mountain was vague and indiscernible; since he had arrived, however, he would not turn back. He descended slowly and carefully to the bottom. It was filled with thick snow and dense, withered bushes.

There was indeed a large amount of galloping horses that crossed his vision, far away. It was a natural horse racecourse here. Even during the dead of winter, the horses were still merrily making their way in the open.

In all honesty, the old physician had presented Yun Yang with a wonderful idea. He had lost his manifestation powers, and while his mystical cultivation method was somewhat back to normal, it was still far from a full recovery. It would be harmful to his injuries, even if he could walk to the eastern border and reach it within half a month.

With a good horse as a replacement to his steps, however, the situation differed greatly. Otherwise, why would Yun Yang come looking for a favorable ride, just like the old physician had asked?

It was the break of dawn now, the time when sunlight greeted the earth once again.

What Yun Yang was seeing now was the most majestic sight he had witnessed throughout his life. In the distance, where the land was snow-white and the mountains touched the clouds, hordes of wild horses were galloping with abandon. With a rough estimation, there were tens of thousands of horses as said by the old physician, and that was already a reserved guess.

Yun Yang thought that there had to be at least millions of these wild horses, perhaps even more!